I am an English Language Fellow providing teacher training workshops and feedback to teachers in Kyrgyzstan so as to make their classes more interactive and fun.
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Monday, February 18, 2013

February 18, 2013

My body must be getting the right training for I have been
able to sleep until 7:30 or 8:00 most morning these days and that is in the
absence of my taking any Benadryl to contend with my post nasal drip. I am
delighted to have been able to kick the habit, something I had been doing since
my days in the Peace Corps more than ten years ago.

I made it to the KazCom Bank’s ATM around the corner from my
apartment and this time I got a clear message that my card had been turned down
by my bank. There was no sense in my panicking since there wasn't much I could
do at that time. I’m so appreciative of having people like Willoughby in my
life to lend me money at the drop of a hat, but I’ll have to bother my sister
Esther again to intervene with the bank on my behalf.

Since I was close to the Beta stores, I stopped to buy the
French roast coffee that Sierra Coffee offers through a kiosk in front of their
building. The very handsome young guy tending the kiosk spoke no English and
all the labels were in Russian. In exasperation, I finally pointed to my black
beret and asked for “chorni” beans and he produced a package that he claimed
contained Brazilian coffee.

I walked the rest of the way to Lingua fighting not to be
run off the pavement by the Kyrgyz drivers who look at pedestrians as lowly,
insignificant nuisances to be scared away whenever possible. I met with Anna
and finalized the rubric for the selection of the participants and mailed it to
all those involved in the conference.

While waiting for Gulnara to return from lunch, I continued
to work on my presentation for tomorrow and on locating a few examples for
handouts that the teachers could work on for better understanding. I had to
vacate the room at two for Nargiza’s class and then waited for a few minutes to
meet with Gulnara who was in the process of delivering a stern lecture to a
misbehaving student.

Along with Zarina, we selected the dates for the sessions
I’m to going offer beginning on March 5 and ending on March 28, twice a week
for four weeks. I asked for twenty participants, a laptop and projector and put
no barriers as to who could attend as long as they were fourth and fifth year
university students planning on becoming English teachers.

The sunshine was gone by the time I left the building
clearly indicating the approach of the snowstorm expected for tomorrow. My
boots have come unglued already and I was hoping to have been able to ditch
them, but it looks as if more snow is coming our way this week.

I settled down at my computer with the firm resolve of
finishing my mid-year report and send it on its way to all those concerned.
Willoughby convinced me I was right in mentioning the shabby way I had been
treated by the RELO, the embassy and the director at Lingua when it came to notifying
me of the non-renewal of my post. I did my best to make it sound professional
and not just like I was whining.

In adding up all the expenses I have incurred so far that
will need to be reimbursed from my PAA, I found I have just spend $320.00, or practically
peanuts. Jennifer recommended waiting until the end of my fellowship to decide
if any money was leftover to buy the books Lingua had requested last summer as
the PAA wasn't actually intended to build up the host institution’s library.

I skyped with my sister and she informed me my bank had sent
a new debit card and that she had mentioned it to me before but I had disregarded
the note. I really don’t understand that since the one I have doesn't expire
until 2014. She’ll call the bank on my behalf to figure out what can be done
until I receive the new one.